


The Past Revisited

by PeriodDramaWriter



Category: The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Family, Fanfiction, Fluff, Love, Lucien and Jean, Past, Romance, TDBM, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-20 03:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19369315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeriodDramaWriter/pseuds/PeriodDramaWriter
Summary: When Amelia turns up at her grandparents' house after disappearing one night she drops a bombshell on the two of them. This bombshell prompts Jean to remember her teenage years, when she was in the same position as her granddaughter, and brings back memories both pleasant and unpleasant.





	1. |

‘Ruby, love, I need you to calm down and tell me what’s happened.’ Jean twisted the cord of the telephone around her finger whilst talking to her daughter-in-law one morning, a crease in her brow as she was able to tell that she was distressed by the tone she used.

Ruby took in a deep breath before sniffling through her tears and sighing on her end of the line. ‘Jean, it’s…it’s Amelia. She’s missing.’ Jean felt her heart sink like a rock in her chest at her daughter-in-law’s words, dread coursing through her veins as she fell quiet.

‘What do you mean she’s missing? How long has she been gone?’ She asked.

‘We had an argument last night when she came home after sneaking out to meet up with her boyfriend.’ Ruby told her. ‘When she ran upstairs I decided to let her have the rest of the night to cool off, but when I went to check on her earlier on her bed was empty.’

Jean sighed. ‘Do you have any idea where she could be? Any idea at all?’

‘No, I’ve been out looking for her all morning and there’s no sign of her anywhere.’ Ruby said, her voice shaking. ‘I thought she might have gone to Liam’s, but when I went there he said that he hasn’t seen her since she walked home last night. Jean, I’m so terrified.’

‘I know you are, sweetheart.’ Jean felt her heart ache for her.

The two of them fell silent for a few moments before, at last, Ruby sniffed: ‘I know it’s a long-shot but, if she comes to you, will you or Lucien get her to telephone me just so I know that she’s safe? I won’t shout at her; I just need to know that she’s not in danger.’

‘It’ll be the first thing she does if she comes here, Ruby, I swear that to you.’ Jean said before hearing the younger woman sigh. ‘I know that me telling you this isn’t going to be much help, but I’m always here for you. You’re my daughter-in-law, Ruby, and I love you.’

‘I love you too, Jean.’ Ruby replied. ‘I know I don’t show it much, but I do.’

Jean smiled. ‘It’s harder said than done, my love, I know it is, but don’t worry about her too much. We both know that she’s smart and mature. She’s not one to purposefully put herself in danger.’ She heard Ruby mumble in agreement on the opposite end of the line.

‘You’re right.’ Ruby admitted. ‘I hope she comes to you.’

‘Have faith, alright?’ Jean raised her brow.

‘I will, Jean, thank you.’ Ruby said. ‘I’ll let you get on with your morning now.’

‘If you need me I’m just a phone call away.’ Jean reminded her.

She swore that she could feel Ruby’s smile on the other end of the line.

‘I know you are and I’m so grateful for that.’ Ruby told her. ‘I’ll telephone you later.’

‘Alright.’ Jean nodded. ‘Bye.’

She waited for her daughter-in-law to hang up first before she did the same, a nervous sigh escaping her once she had done so and she brought her fingers to her lips. She had kept strong whilst talking to Ruby, but on the inside she was just as worried as she was. Her sweet Amelia had just turned seventeen and now she was all on her own somewhere.

She prayed that she was safe.

She prayed that something awful hadn’t happened to her.

But, most of all, she prayed that she either went home or came to her before nightfall. 

* * *

It was hours later, just after half-past eight, when she was standing at the stove in the kitchen and stirring the contents of the saucepan that sat atop it. All afternoon – since the conversation that she had had with Ruby had reached its end – she had waited for a knock at the door, but it had never come. None of the calls that she had gotten through the afternoon had been from Ruby either, meaning that Amelia still had yet to go home.

She could hear rain pounding against the windowpanes and thunder rumbling outside and she hated knowing that there was a chance that her perfect granddaughter was outside in such terrible weather. After a while, the sound of the front door opening and closing brought her out of her thoughts, a sigh escaping her when her husband called her name. ‘In the kitchen!’ She called to him whilst continuing to stir the contents of the saucepan.

It didn’t take him long to join her in the kitchen once he had set down his bag and taken off his hat and coat, a surge of warmth coursing through her when he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He pressed his lips to her cheek after pulling her flush against his chest, a small smile gracing her features when she turned her head towards him and allowed him to press his lips to hers. ‘Mmm…I missed you.’ He murmured into her mouth.

‘I missed you too.’ She mumbled back.

Once he had left one last kiss on her lips he rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled her neck, his beard scraping against her skin as he did so. ‘What’s wrong?’ He asked her.

‘What makes you ask that?’ She raised her brow.

He brushed his thumbs against her stomach through the pink blouse that he had always loved on her. ‘You’re only ever this quiet when there’s something upsetting you, Jeannie.’

She sighed as he held her in his arms and fell silent for a short time before whispering: ‘Amelia’s been missing since last night and Ruby has no idea of where she may have gone.’

Lucien stiffened behind her. ‘Has she telephoned the police?’

‘I don’t think so. I think she wanted to wait and see if she turned up first.’ She replied.

‘Surely she should…’

Before Lucien could finish speaking there was a desperate knocking on the front door, a gasp escaping Jean before she turned off the stove and left his arms in order to all but run to the door. When she pulled opened the door she froze at the sight in front of her.

It was Amelia, soaked and shivering with tear stains on her cheeks and a bag in her hand.

‘Hi, nanna…’ She whimpered, forcing a smile, ‘…any room at the inn?’


	2. ||

_‘Hi nanna…’ She whimpered, ‘…any room at the inn?’_

Just seconds after her granddaughter had said those words, Jean reached out to grasp Amelia’s spare hand in hers and sighed at how cold it was. She then allowed her to enter the house before closing the front door, her heart sinking in her chest when she turned back to her and watched her lower lip tremble. ‘Oh, my darling, what’s the matter?’ She asked as she pulled her into her arms, not at all caring that she was soaked to the bone.

After resting her head on her grandmother’s shoulder, Amelia slipped both arms around her waist and buried her face in the side of her neck as she started to sob silently. She felt her grandmother run her hand over her wet hair and press her lips to her forehead whilst she sobbed into her neck, the love that she had for her deepening when – after a few seconds – she heard her begin to shush into her hair whilst holding her near to her.

‘I know that I should have telephoned to ask if I could come and stay with you before I came, but…but you’re the only person who’ll understand what I’m dealing with and I just wouldn’t have been able to talk to you over the telephone about it.’ Amelia whimpered as she clung to Jean as though her life depended on it, Jean brushing one last kiss against her hairline before she brought her away from her and looked into her tear-filled eyes.

‘You are _always_ welcome here, sweet-pea, you know that.’ Jean ran both hands along the length of Amelia’s arms through the wet fabric of her coat, her granddaughter blessing her with a sad yet beautiful smile as she looked at her. ‘You should have left a note or a letter for your Mum though, because she telephoned me earlier and she was so worried.’ She watched a tear roll down Amelia’s cheek before reaching up to wipe it away lovingly.

‘I couldn’t have told her that I was coming to see you.’ Amelia whispered.

Jean frowned a little. ‘Why not?’

‘Because…because she would have wanted to know why I was coming.’ Amelia stammered.

‘I’m afraid I don’t understand, darling,’ Jean replied. ‘Why is that so awful?’

Feeling too ashamed of herself to say the words, Amelia sighed nervously whilst setting her bag down on the floor. She then brought her hands to the row of buttons which ran down the front of her coat before unbuttoning them one-by-one, her heart stopping for a moment in her chest when she heard the hitch in her grandmother’s breath after she had opened her coat. She couldn’t look at her whilst she looked at her rounded stomach.

‘How far...how far along are you?’ She heard her grandmother inquire after a time.

‘Seven months, almost eight.’ She replied. ‘I didn’t really start showing until last month.’

Now it was time for tears to prick at the back of Jean’s eyes.

‘And you’ve been…keeping the baby a secret all this time?’ She almost whispered.

Amelia nodded. ‘I’ve been buying bigger dresses to hide the bump from mum and dad.’

‘Does Liam know?’ Jean raised her brow.

‘He knows, yes, but the baby isn’t his. I was six months gone when we met.’ Amelia said.

After taking a step towards her, Jean placed a hand on Amelia’s cheek and directed her head in her direction, but her granddaughter wouldn’t meet her gaze. ‘Sweetheart, look at me.’ She whispered to her whilst stroking the pad of her thumb against her cold skin. When Amelia met her gaze she was able to see the fear and the shame that lived in her eyes. ‘Do you know who the father is? Was it…was it a boy from your school?’ She asked.

Amelia gave another slow nod. ‘It was Harrison Brown. We dated for just over a month.’

‘What happened?’ Jean kept her tone as gentle as possible.

Amelia sighed. ‘He offered to drive me home after the debutante ball, but he…he pulled over at one point and we started kissing. Things just…progressed…from there and then the next thing I knew we had made love and he had started driving again.’ Tears choked her words as she went on to say: ‘He never talked to me again after that night and when I told him that I was pregnant he shoved me into a wall and walked off.’ She whimpered.

‘Oh, sweetheart…’ Jean felt her heart break in her chest.

‘I didn’t want it in the beginning.’ Amelia admitted. ‘I pretended like it didn’t exist and I kept telling myself, over the next few weeks, that as soon as I had given birth I wanted it to be put up for adoption. I feel so different now though, nanna, especially since Liam and I met. He loves me and he loves the baby and he says that – in the next few years – he’s going to ask me to marry him.’ A warm smile formed on her lips. ‘I’m scared though.’

Jean ran a hand over her hair. ‘So was I, sweetheart, but do you know what helped me?’

Amelia shook her head.

‘Telling my mum.’ Jean said to her.

Amelia sighed. ‘She wouldn’t understand, nanna. She’d just scream at me if I told her.’

‘How can you be so sure?’ Jean asked.

‘Because she screamed at me last night just for going out to meet Liam so that he could give me the vitamin tablets that I’d left at his.’ Amelia said whilst looking into her eyes.

Jean smiled. ‘Did you tell her where you were going?’

Amelia shook her head with a sheepish smile of her own. ‘No, but she doesn’t like Liam.’

‘Why not?’ Jean asked.

Amelia ran a hand over her belly when she felt her baby making itself more comfortable within her womb. ‘When he was young he was a pick-pocket and he would steal magazines and things from stores. He’s changed now though, nanna, and he means the world to me. When I told Mum that we were dating she told me that she thought I was being stupid.’

Jean had a brief moment of reflection.

That was exactly what her parents had said to her when she had revealed to the two of them that she and Christopher had started courting. Neither of them had liked him all that much, but – like Amelia with Liam – she had been head over heels and he’d meant so much to her. ‘Have you spoken to your mum about this? About your feelings?’ She asked.

‘No,’ Amelia admitted. ‘I don’t like bothering her when daddy’s out fighting. She has far too much to worry about when he isn’t at home with us. I don’t want to be another thing for her to lose sleep over, which is why I come to you when I need someone to speak to.’ Jean felt the love that she possessed for her granddaughter grow deeper at her words.

‘You never have to be afraid to speak to me about your feelings, precious.’ She smiled at her before drawing her into her arms again and allowing her to snuggle into her warmth.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention after a few moments. ‘Or me.’

After lifting her head off of her grandmother’s shoulder, Amelia giggled when her gaze fell on her grandfather. She then left her grandmother’s embrace before going over to him and wrapping her arms around his middle. When he wrapped her in his own arms and drew her close she felt so warm and secure and she loved it. ‘I’ve missed you, granddad.’

‘I’ve missed you too, my beautiful girl.’ He whispered before pressing a kiss to her head. ‘Amelia, if you don’t mind me asking, when was the last time you paid a visit to a doctor?’

She tilted her head back on his chest and looked up at him. ‘About the baby?’

‘That’s right.’ He nodded, smiling down at her.

She fell silent for a few moments. ‘Not for a few months now. I’d say…four months ago.’

‘As I expected.’ He stroked her back. ‘Because you thought your mum would find out?’

She nodded. ‘I didn’t want to risk the doctor or someone else telling her or daddy.’

Lucien gave her a light squeeze. ‘Would you mind terribly if – after breakfast tomorrow – I check you over just to make sure everything’s as it should be with you and the baby? I’ll need to take a sample of your blood too.’ Amelia hummed, smiling up at him.

‘That’s fine.’ She reassured him before her eyes fell closed when he kissed her hairline.

When she felt her grandmother’s hand on the small of her back she lifted her head off of her grandfather’s chest and looked her in the eye. ‘You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t get out of these wet things.’ Jean pointed out to her. ‘Why don’t you go and have a long soak in the bathtub and get changed whilst I call your mum and say you’re with us?’

‘You won’t tell her about the baby, nanna, will you?’ Amelia asked her.

‘No, precious, I won’t,’ Jean reassured her. ‘But I do think that you should let her know.’ She reached up with one hand to give Amelia’s small cheek a stroke. ‘I love you so much.’

‘I love you too,’ Amelia replied before looking up at her grandfather. ‘Both of you.’

After Lucien had run his hand over her hair and Jean had allowed her to take her bag of clothes, she stepped out from between them and walked down the hall to the bathroom. Lucien wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist after their granddaughter had closed the bathroom door behind her, his lips finding the side of her head as she snuggled into him.

‘You’re a wonder, Jean Blake, and I hope you know that.’ He mumbled into her hair.

Jean giggled before rising up onto her tiptoes to peck at his lips. ‘You’re not bad either.’

‘I love you.’ He told her.

‘I love you too.’ She wrapped her arms around his middle. ‘More than you know.’

* * *

When she turned to the sitting room after washing the dinner plates later that night, a smile curved her lips at the sight of Amelia slumbering in Lucien’s arms on the sofa. Her head was lying on his shoulder and her arm was slung over his middle, her face buried in his neck whilst his arms were wrapped tight around her and he had his cheek pressed to her temple. She loved the unbreakable bond that the two of them had managed to build.

Even though he wasn’t her biological grandfather, she knew that Lucien adored her just as much as he would have done if she was his granddaughter by blood. Ever since Amelia had been a baby – when she had come to spend weekends with them to give Christopher and Ruby a break – the two of them had had such a strong bond and Jean had cherished watching it strengthen as the years had passed by. She loved how close they both were.

Once she had dried her hands on a tea-towel she decided to go and sit on the sofa with her husband and granddaughter, Lucien turning his head towards her and offering her a soft smile when she entered the sitting room after walking through the kitchen. Before she moved to sit beside him on the sofa she stopped at her chair to get the blanket she had knitted, her heart full of love for Amelia when she opened it and placed it over her.

She then leaned down to kiss her cheek whilst running her hand down her spine through the blanket, the tiredness clear in her eyes when she sat down on the other side of her husband and let him remove one arm from around Amelia and slip it around her. ‘Ah,’ He sighed when she snuggled into his side. ‘Now I’ve got both of my gorgeous girls with me.’ Jean rolled her eyes good-naturedly in response to his teasing before kissing his cheek.

‘Well, Ruby’s going to sleep well tonight now that she knows Amelia’s safe.’ She told him.

‘And so will you.’ He added whilst rubbing her back.

She hummed her agreement as she watched Amelia sleep. ‘I know that she doesn’t want me to tell Ruby about the baby, Lucien, but I just don’t feel comfortable keeping such a secret from her and Christopher. If the two of them find out that I knew and didn’t let them know, I doubt they’d speak to me again and I can’t have Christopher despising me.’ She took a deep breath and calmed herself down when Lucien shushed her comfortingly.

‘Amelia will have to be the one to tell them, darling,’ He said, ‘but there’s no harm in you convincing her to do so. Perhaps you could tell her about how you told your mother when you found out that you were pregnant and how she helped you. That could help Amelia to tell Ruby. You could even tell her that you’ll stand with her whilst she tells her about it.’ He nuzzled the tip of her nose with his when she tilted her head back to look up at him.

‘She’s so young, Lucien,’ She whimpered. ‘She’s still a child herself!’

Lucien tightened his hold of her. ‘I know, but she’s going to be absolutely fine.’

‘How do you know?’ She asked him.

‘Because she’s a Beazley,’ He smirked. ‘And if she’s anything like you she’ll be terrific.’

She tutted. ‘Still the same charmer you were eleven years ago.’

‘I can’t believe you’ve been mine for over a decade.’ He said before leaning into her and tilting his head to one side in order to leave two warm kisses to the skin behind her ear.

‘Mmm…I know.’ She smirked at him. ‘I don’t know how I’ve stayed sane all these years.’

Lucien dug his fingers into her side, causing her to giggle quietly. ‘You cheeky thing.’

‘You love me.’ She rested her head on his shoulder and pressed her lips against his neck.

‘That I do, my sweet Jean,’ He snugged her and Amelia a little closer to him. ‘That I do.’

* * *

‘Nanna?’ Jean lowered her gaze to her granddaughter just as she was about to flick off the lamp that was sat on the nightstand beside her bed later that night, pure love living in her eyes as she lowered herself down onto the edge of the bed and stroked her face.

‘What is it, sweetheart?’ She whispered whilst smiling at her half-asleep state.

‘I know that it’s late, but please will you lie with me for a while?’ Amelia asked her after turning onto her back beneath the covers, Jean sighing in response as her heart swelled with the love that she possessed for her. The last time Amelia had asked her to lie with her had been back when she was three and she had woken from a nightmare one evening.

‘Of course I will.’ She nodded before waiting for Amelia to shuffle over a little in order for her to lie down beside her and open her arms to her. It didn’t take too long for her granddaughter to get settled in her arms, her head finding her shoulder whilst her arm draped itself over her middle and she anchored herself to her. ‘Comfy?’ She whispered.

Amelia hummed her response. ‘You still give the best cuddles, you know.’

Jean giggled against her skin when she pressed her lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss. ‘I still remember cuddling you like this until you drifted off when you were little. I would sing to you and you would lie right next to me, sucking on your dummy and tangling your hand in my hair.’ She revelled in the way that Amelia snuggled a little closer to her.

‘I hate that I live so far from you and granddad, nanna,’ Amelia admitted. ‘I wish I lived next door to the both of you so that I could come over and see you whenever I wanted.’

‘I don’t like the distance either, love, but if you lived right next door then all you would hear is me telling your granddad off for making messes.’ Jean ran her hand up and down the length of her back through her pyjama shirt whilst the two of them laughed quietly. ‘No, I do wish we lived closer to each other. I’ve missed you so much.’ She sighed to her.

Amelia gave her a squeeze. ‘We might be coming for Christmas. If daddy gets his leave.’

‘That would be nice.’ Jean stroked her hair as it hung down her back.

The two of them drifted into a comfortable silence for a time after that before Amelia tilted her head back on her grandmother’s shoulder and gazed up at her. ‘When it’s time for me to give birth I want you _and_ mum to be with me. I love you both so much and you know what it’s like to be pregnant at a young age, nanna. I want you to be there with me.’

‘You shouldn’t be worrying about that now,’ Jean brought a hand up to brush a strand of her hair back behind her ear. ‘But if me saying it puts your mind at rest and it helps you to relax, darling, then I promise you that I’ll be there when you give birth. ‘I don’t want you worrying about a thing because stress isn’t good for you or this little one.’ She said.

She rested her hand on her granddaughter’s stomach before stroking it affectionately.

‘As long as I know you’ll be there; I’ll have no need to worry.’ Amelia sighed happily.

When she settled down in her arms again, Jean kissed the crown of her head. ‘Get some sleep now, precious. You’ve had such a challenging day and you need to let yourself rest.’

‘Don’t leave me yet.’ Amelia yawned whilst closing her eyes and burrowing into her neck.

‘I won’t leave you,’ Jean reassured her, her voice no higher than a whisper. ‘I promise.’

And so, until her granddaughter had drifted off and was snoring against the side of her neck, she laid there quietly. Holding her, protecting her and loving her with all her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this chapter and please leave a comment so I know what you thought! See you all next time! x


	3. |||

As she laid in silence with her hand on her rounded stomach beneath the quilt the next morning, Amelia sighed and smiled to herself when she felt her unborn child stretch within her. She was able to feel an appendage - unsure of whether it was a little hand or a little foot - being pushed against the wall of her womb and it made her heart swell. 'Well, good morning, my darling.' She whispered whilst running her hand back and forth across her stomach, her gaze falling to the proof of her child when she started to trace the roundness of it with the pad of her thumb. Even though she was terrified and unsure of how the last two-to-three months of her pregnancy were going to pan out, she couldn't deny that she was getting impatient to have her baby in her arms. She couldn't wait to count its ten fragile fingers and toes and to leave kiss after kiss over its precious face. She was so excited.

She was positive that Liam would take on the role of the baby's father the moment he clapped eyes on it. He loved it so much already and proved that to her through caressing her stomach, pressing kisses onto it and speaking to the baby whenever the two of them were together. The other night, when she had met with him to get her vitamin tablets, he had cupped her face in his hands and given her the softest of kisses. When he had pulled back from her he had sighed that, if it wasn't frowned upon, he would hold her all throughout her labour when the time came. The two of them knew that the nurses and midwives at the hospital - and her parents - wouldn't permit that, however, and so he had told her that he would be standing right outside the room. Even though he wouldn't be able to be in the room with her, her grandmother and mother, it soothed her to know he would be close.

When she had first found out that she was expecting she had hoped that Harrison would do the right thing and support her, but when he had given her the filthiest look before all but throwing her into the wall at school it had been made clear to her that he wouldn't. Thinking back now, she couldn't understand why she had wanted someone like that to stay in her life anyway. She couldn't understand why, for a moment, she had considered letting him be a part of her child's life. He was an awful person, controlling and abusive, and he had made her life hell in the one month that she had been his girlfriend. Her parents knew nothing about him or their relationship. Neither of them knew about how he had hit her whenever they had argued. Neither of them knew about how he would throw her to the ground, pin her down and kiss her until she worked up the strength to push him off of her.

Neither of them knew about how he had left her with no choice but to make love with him, either.

When she sighed to herself again after a time she was able to smell bacon cooking and smiled as she knew that her grandmother was in the kitchen making breakfast. Deciding that she would go and see if her grandmother needed any help, she pulled back the quilt before slipping out of bed and padding in the direction of the door. She then, once she had left her bedroom, walked along the hall before entering the kitchen and offering her grandmother a smile when she looked over her shoulder at her. 'Good morning, lovely.' Jean said when she turned back to the bacon that was frying in the frying pan, a smile gracing her features when Amelia pressed her lips to her cheek and wound an arm around her waist. 'How was your night? Did you get enough sleep?' She asked, Amelia nodding with a hum before she rested her chin on her shoulder and watched her cook for a while.

'Is there anything that you need help with?' She asked eventually.

'I'm almost finished with breakfast now, but you could set the table for me if you wouldn't mind.' Jean replied.

After leaving one more kiss on her cheek, Amelia unwrapped her arm from around her waist before walking over to the drawer that the cutlery was kept in and getting out three knives and forks. She then walked over to the breakfast table before setting them down in their respective places, sitting down in her seat and reaching for the jug of apple juice to pour herself a glass. 'I've got a council meeting just after ten, Amelia, but - as long as he doesn't get called out - your grandfather will be here. If he does end up being called out though, you can help yourself to whatever's in the refrigerator.' Jean explained to her after she had turned off the stove and picked up the frying pan so that she could place the rashers of bacon onto the breakfast plates, Amelia nodding in reply as she gazed at her over the rim of her glass whilst taking a sip of her apple juice. 'How are you feeling?'

'My back's hurting a little, but it's nothing serious.' Amelia replied. 

Jean sighed when she turned around to face her properly. 'Darling, I know that you don't want to tell your mum about the baby, but...but I think it's for the best that you do.'

'I can't, nanna.' Amelia shook her head. 'If I told her then she would hate me and she would never look at me the same way again.'

Once she had carried the breakfast plates over to the table and set them all down, Jean sat down in the chair opposite her granddaughter before lying her hand palm-up on the table and allowing Amelia to slide hers into it. 'I thought the exact same thing when I fell pregnant the first time. I thought that my mum would scream at me, I thought that she would hit me, I thought that she would hate me and I thought that she would never talk to me again. That couldn't have been farther from the truth.' She gave her a warm smile. 'When I told her that I was pregnant she was disappointed in me for sinning and for sleeping with your grandfather, but she didn't lose her temper with me and do you know her reason for not shouting at me?' Amelia shook her head whilst looking at her. 'When I asked her why she didn't shout she said it was because it wouldn't have changed anything.'

'Because you were already pregnant?' Amelia raised her brow.

Jean nodded. 'Exactly. Shouting at me wouldn't have made the baby go away, sweetheart, so there was no point in her losing her temper.'

'So, she didn't hit you?' Amelia asked.

'No.' Jean ran her thumb across her knuckles. 'In fact, she gave me a cuddle and told me that I wasn't alone.'

Amelia was silent for a couple of seconds. 'What if mum's not like your mum? What if mum doesn't see it the same way that your mum did?'

'If there's one thing I know about your mum, Amelia, it's that she adores you. I know that the two of you don't get on sometimes and I know that, when she's worried about your father, she takes it out on you, but you're one of the most important things in the world to her and I know that she would listen to you about this.' Jean sighed. 'She might get a little annoyed and she might not keep as calm as my mum did when it was me in your position, but I am _certain_ that she'll support you however she can if you tell her the truth.'

Amelia gave her hand a squeeze. 'I'll think about it, nanna. I promise.' 

'That's all I ask.' Jean lifted her hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. 'That's all I ask.'

* * *

'Your blood pressure is a little higher than I would like, darling, but I think that's because of the travelling yesterday and your worrying about telling your mum about the baby.' Lucien admitted to Amelia as he removed the blood pressure cuff from around her arm when she was settled on the examination bed in his surgery later that morning. 'I'd like it if, for the next day or so, you rest as much as possible and try not to worry so much so that it comes back down.' Amelia smiled at him whilst nodding before he turned to place his blood pressure cuff down on his desk. 'Now, is it alright if I measure your stomach and have a feel just so I can get an idea of how this little one's growing?' Lucien raised his brow at her before reaching for his measuring tape once she had agreed and lifted up her blouse. He then measured the size of her stomach with the tape before smiling at her. 'Baby's an excellent size for how far along you are.' He said to her, Amelia sighing with relief before he rested his hands on her stomach and began to press down carefully on it.

She watched in silence as he continued to press down on her stomach to determine the position that her unborn child was in, her heart racing a little when she looked up at him and saw that there was a crease in his brow. 'Granddad, what is it? Is there something wrong?' She asked him when his hands left her stomach and pulled her blouse back down.

Lucien perched himself on the edge of the examination bed before reaching out to drag the backs of his fingers down her cheek, her eyes closing for a moment at the sensation before she opened them again and met his gaze. 'No, Amelia, there's nothing wrong with you or the baby. You're both fine, but...but I think you might be a little further along in your pregnancy than you thought.' He watched her eyes widen somewhat in shock before shushing her and taking one of her hands in his. 'I'm not sure of when it occurred, but at some point over the last couple of weeks Baby has turned so that it's head is within the cervix. That doesn't mean that you're going to give birth in the next week, sweetheart, because babies can turn at eight months, but it does mean that you're a little closer to giving birth than you first anticipated.' He watched as his words started to sink in for her.

'Can you find out how far along I am? Is there anything that you can do to know for certain?' She asked.

'There's a woman who I work with at the morgue named Alice Harvey. She doesn't work with pregnant mothers, but she can pick up your blood test results at the hospital after I've sent them off and she can bring them here. Blood tests can sometimes tell us how far a pregnancy has progressed.' He explained to her whilst still grasping her hand in his.

'Off of the top of your head, granddad,' She looked him in the eyes. 'How far along would you say I am?'

With his free hand, Lucien gave the swell of her stomach a stroke. 'I'd say that you're somewhere around eight-and-a-half months pregnant. I think that one of the reasons why you thought that you weren't as far along as you are is because your bump is somewhat smaller than others are at this stage. That's nothing for you to fret about though, it just means that there's a chance that this little one is smaller than other babies.' Amelia sighed whilst he began to smooth soothing circles into the back of her hand with his thumb. 'I know that it's a lot to take in all at once, my love, but I promise you that you're not alone. Your grandmother and I love you and whatever you need, even if that's just a cuddle, we're both here.' He watched her lips curl up into a smile before she sat up and laced her arms around his neck, his lips finding the side of her head as he held her close to him.

'Thank you, granddad,' She whispered into his ear. 'I love you.'

'I love you too, princess,' He whispered into her hair. 'More than you know.'

* * *

It was later that evening, long after the two of them had eaten dinner, when Jean and Amelia were on the settee together in the sitting room. Jean was sat knitting another small cardigan as Amelia slept with her head in her lap and her legs stretched out over the vacant space, a smile curling her lips when she looked down at her granddaughter every so often and saw that she was still at peace. When the two of them had been washing the dishes after dinner it had been obvious that Amelia had been worn out, so it hadn't come as too much of a shock to her when she had drifted off just minutes after lying her head in her lap. Now, the only sounds to be heard was Amelia's calm breathing, the clacking of her knitting needles and  _Walkabout_ playing on a low volume on the television. It comforted her to know that, after all that her granddaughter had gone through over the past two days, she was now allowing herself to rest and forget about it for a time. She was still so very young. She shouldn't have to be going through something like this at her age.

When she had gotten home from her council meeting just after lunchtime, Amelia had filled her in on what Lucien had found out during her examination and there had been no mistaking that she had been scared. She had gone on and on about how she had nothing for the baby: no clothes, no cloths, no bath and no cot, and that had led to her feeling the need to help her. She had known that she couldn't provide everything for her, but she had had all of the resources to make a couple of outfits and so she had gotten to work almost straight away. So far she had made two dresses with matching knitted cardigans - in case it was a girl - and two sweaters in case it was a boy. It wasn't much, she wasn't going to pretend that it was, but she knew that Amelia would be so grateful to her and that it would help her out a little and that was the important thing. She loved helping her.

The feeling and sound of her granddaughter stirring pulled her from her thoughts after a couple of minutes and she paused in her knitting to reach down and run her hand over her hair, quiet shushes escaping her until she sighed and settled back into slumber. Once she had managed to reassure herself that she was comfortable and content she pulled the blanket that was covering her a little further towards her chin, the love that she possessed for her deepening when she snuggled down underneath it and rested her hand on her knee through her skirt. She went back to knitting the cardigan again after that, but when she heard the front door open and close she stopped and smiled at Lucien when he entered the sitting room. 'I popped your dinner back in the oven so that it didn't go cold.' She admitted to him as he returned her smile and started to make his way over to her.

'Thank you, sweetheart.' He replied once he had reached her before taking her face in his hands and pressing two delicate kisses onto her lips, his heart swelling when he let his hands fall from her face and took in the sight of the small outfits laid out on the coffee table. 'You've been creating outfits for the baby all afternoon, haven't you?' He asked her.

'She hasn't got a thing for the baby and she isn't working yet, so I don't know how she's going to afford everything. I thought that I would just make a few outfits for her so that she doesn't have to worry about what the baby's going to wear when it's born.'  She explained as she stroked Amelia's hair, a sigh escaping her when Lucien caressed her cheek.

'There are thousands of children in the world who would kill to have a grandmother like you, you know.' He said to her when she looked up into his eyes. 

She smirked at him before leaning forward to peck his cheek. 'Stop flattering me and go and get your dinner.'

'Yes ma'am.' He saluted her teasingly before turning and walking in the direction of the kitchen, Jean giggling as she watched him go and continued stroking Amelia's soft hair.

He could be an idiot and a charmer at the best of times, but she truly didn't care.

Because he was _her_ idiot and _her_ charmer and she loved him more than she could ever hope to explain. 

* * *

'Do you want me to hold your hand whilst you speak to her?' She raised her brow at Amelia when the two of them were stood at the telephone in the kitchen later that night.

Amelia nodded. 'Yes please, nanna.'

She then picked up the receiver of the telephone and dialled her telephone number before putting the receiver to her ear and allowing her grandmother to slip her hand into her own, a trembling sigh escaping her whilst she waited for her mother to answer. Now that she knew that she was farther along in her pregnancy than she had first thought, she'd decided that it was time to let her mum know. She would rather her find out about the baby by her telling her rather than find out when her waters broke and her labour started.

'Hello?' Her heart stopped in her chest for a moment when her mother's voice came through the receiver.

'Hello, mum.' She replied whilst lacing her fingers with her grandmother's and allowing her to run her thumb across her knuckles.

Ruby sighed on her end of the telephone. 'Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea how nice it is to hear your voice.'

Amelia smiled. 'I'm sorry that I left without telling you where I was going.'

'Don't worry about that now.' Ruby told her. 'The main thing is that you're safe and that you're not out on the streets. When are you coming home?'

'I'm not sure yet, I want to spend some time with nanna and granddad,' Amelia admitted. 'But there...there's something that I need to tell you.'

'Go on.' Ruby said.

Amelia looked at her grandmother before saying, when she smiled and nodded silently at her, 'I...I'm pregnant.'

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading this chapter and - if you read to the end - please leave a comment so that I know if you like this idea or not and if I should continue! Thank you all so much x


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